The holidays can be a dangerous time for pets. While everyone else is enjoying the merriment and snuggling up inside, cats and dogs can get into some serious trouble.
In addition to the normal dangers winter brings, there are also holiday-specific issues all pet owners should know about. Specifically, animal bones.
Most pet parents know they shouldn't give their dogs chicken or turkey bones (or other poultry bones), but bones from red meat are fine, right? Wrong.
According to new guidelines from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), you shouldn't give your dog any bones or bone treats at all.
This information will come as a surprise to many people, but it can be extremely dangerous — and even deadly — for dogs to eat bones.
Find out more about why you shouldn't feed your dog bone treats below.
[H/T: Country Living]
Thumbnail Photo: Pixabay / user2014 // Aviano Air Base / Airman 1st Class Ryan Conroy
During the holidays, people eat a lot of meat. We have big turkey dinners, ham brunches, etc.
And all of these meals come with tons of leftover bones. It might seem like no big deal to give your dog a leftover steak bone to gnaw on, but it can actually be really dangerous.
Even if you don't give your dog snacks right from the kitchen, you might think that bone treats from the pet store are totally safe.
Unfortunately, all dog bones and bone treats — even the ones in the store — aren't safe for your dogs.
The FDA explains:
Many dog owners know not to toss a turkey or chicken bone to their dog; those bones are just too brittle. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the risk goes beyond that, especially when it comes to the “bone treats” you may see at the store.
FDA has received about 68 reports of pet illnesses related to “bone treats,” which differ from uncooked butcher-type bones because they are processed and packaged for sale as dog treats.
A variety of commercially-available bone treats for dogs—including treats described as “Ham Bones,” “Pork Femur Bones,” “Rib Bones,” and “Smokey Knuckle Bones”—were listed in the reports.
The products may be dried through a smoking process or by baking, and may contain other ingredients such as preservatives, seasonings, and smoke flavorings.
So if you’re planning to give your dog a stocking full of bone treats this holiday season, you may want to reconsider. According to Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at the FDA, “Giving your dog a bone treat might lead to an unexpected trip to your veterinarian, a possible emergency surgery, or even death for your pet.”
Some of the illnesses caused by bone treats include choking, vomiting, diarrhea, gastrointestinal obstruction, cuts and wounds in the mouth or throat, bleeding from the rectum, and even death.
It's terrifying for pet owners to learn that a treat could cause such serious harm, but there are easy solutions.
To keep your dog safe, make sure they don't sneak any bones from the table or garbage when you're not looking.
Talk to your vet or research online for alternatives to dog bones that are safe and easily digestible for your dog.
Any time you give your dog a new treat, you should supervise them while they eat it to make sure they don't struggle.
If you're concerned that something is wrong with your pet, call your vet right away.
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